Ms. Edwards
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the
Workforce

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to
States that enact State laws that will make school attendance compulsory
through the age of 17.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the
Broadening Opportunities Through Education Act.

2.

Grant program for
States with compulsory school attendance through the age of 17

(a)

Program
authorized

From the amounts
appropriated to carry out this Act and not later than 90 days after such
amounts are appropriated, the Secretary of Education shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to States with approved applications under
subsection (b) to assist such States in
improving secondary school programs.

(b)

Application

To
be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, a State shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including—

(1)

a
description of the State law that the State has enacted that makes school
attendance in the State compulsory through the age of 17 (except in cases of
individuals who complete the secondary school graduation requirements of the
State prior to attaining such age) including a description of any other
exemptions to such law; and

(2)

a
description of how the State will use the grant to carry out or improve
secondary school programs in the State.

(c)

Uses of
funds

A State that receives a
grant under this Act shall use such grant to improve secondary school programs
in the State, such as by—

(1)

establishing or expanding work-based
programs that integrate academic and career-based skills through career and
technical training, linked learning pathways, school-registered
apprenticeships, and other career-training programs;

(2)

implementing an
early warning indicator system to help high schools, and their feeder middle
schools, to identify struggling students and create a system of evidence-based
interventions;

(3)

providing
evidence-based grade and school transition programs and supports, including
through curricula alignment;

(4)

personalizing the
school experience and increasing student engagement by providing
service-learning, experiential, and work-based and other learning
opportunities;

(5)

providing
extended-learning opportunities, by the school day, week, or year to increase
the total number of school hours to include additional time for instruction in
academic subjects and enrichment; or

(6)

increasing student
supports through activities such as student advisories, school counseling
opportunities, and one-to-one mentoring.

(d)

Definitions

For
purposes of this Act:

(1)

ESEA
terms

The terms secondary school and
State have the meanings given the terms in section 9101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).